STANDISH, Maine – #1 Saint Joseph's College (21-6) defeated #4 Albertus Magnus Falcons (17-10) 85-71. 

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
The St. Joseph's College Monks earned a spot in the conference championship game with a dominant 85-71 victory over Albertus Magnus in the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday night. The Monks delivered a strong, all-around performance, particularly in the second half, to secure their place in the title matchup.Saturday, the Monks will host #2 Lasell in the GNAC Championship.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
First-year guard Silvano Ismail led all scorers with an outstanding 29-point performance, hitting 7-of-13 shots from the floor, including 2-of-3 from long range, and converting 13-of-15 free throws. Ismail also added 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals, rounding out a remarkable all-around effort.

Despite trailing 37-31 at halftime, Albertus Magnus struggled to keep pace with St. Joseph's in the second half, as the Monks outscored them 48-40 to clinch the win.

Remijo Wani chipped in with 21 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including 3 three-pointers, while sophomore Wani Donato contributed 15 points and 9 rebounds. John Paul Frazier also reached double figures, scoring 13 points, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.

On the defensive side, the Monks forced 18 turnovers from Albertus Magnus while committing just 14. St. Joseph's dominated the paint, scoring 32 points inside and converting 54.2% of their free throws.

For the Falcons, Jayquan Kirkland led the way with 26 points, including 5-of-10 from three-point range, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Monks' well-rounded attack.

With the win, St. Joseph's advances to the conference championship game, where they'll aim to capture the title and secure an automatic bid to the national tournament. The Monks will host Lasell University on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the championship showdown.

LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:

• Silvano Ismail (Portland, ME) recorded 29 points, five rebounds, three steals, and seven assists
• Remijo Wani (Portalnd, ME) notched 21 points, five rebounds, three steals, and four assists
• Wani Donato (Portland, ME) tallied 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal
• John Paul Frazier (York, ME) added 13 points, six rebounds, and one steal
• Pitia Donato (Portland, ME) led the Monks in rebounds with 10 and assists with eight

LEADERS –ALBERTUS MAGNUS COLLEGE:

• Jayquan Kirkland led the Falcons with 26 points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal
• Tazhon Daniels tallied 12 points
• Avery Hinnant recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.